Pear Walnut Blue Cheese Tart Food

PEAR, BLUE CHEESE, WALNUT AND BACON SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients until well blended; set aside.
• In a small frying pan set on a medium heat, melt the butter, stir in the maple syrup or honey and then stir in the walnuts. Continue to heat the walnuts, stirring continuously, for approximately 2-3 minutes or until they are fragrant, caramelized and lightly browned. Remove from the heat; set aside.
• Place the greens in a large salad bowl or, if individual servings are preferred, distribute them equally among 6 salad plates. Sprinkle over the pears, blue cheese and walnuts. Place over chicken then drizzle with dressing and toss.
• Note: I find having the chicken warmed is superior to cold chicken.

PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.
• In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix and hot water until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom and up side of tart pan, using fingers coated with Bisquick mix. Bake 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 8-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender; remove from heat.
• Arrange pear slices on crust. Spread butter mixture over pears. Bake 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle walnuts over pears. Bake about 10 minutes longer or until tart is golden brown.
• Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese. Cool 10 minutes on cooling rack. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Pate Sucree:.
• Cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium speed using a paddle attachment, scraping down the bowl periodically, until smooth and light in color. Be careful not to overcream the mixture. Add the eggs and yolks gradually, scraping down the bowl and blending until smooth after each addition. Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed until just blended.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Scale the dough as desired. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling. The dough can be held under refrigeration or frozen.
• Filling:.
• On a floured work surface, working in batches, roll out the pastry dough 1/8- to 1/4-in/3- to 6-mm thick. Cut out 12 circles 6-in/15-cm in diameter. Line 12 individual tart pans 5-in/13-cm in diameter with the dough. Trim any excess dough from the edges. Chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Preheat an oven to 400°F/204°C Lay a small square of aluminum foil inside each tart pan and fill it with dried beans to weight the dough during baking. Blind bake the tarts 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 350°F/177°C and bake 5 more minutes. If the edges of the tart start to brown too quickly during the baking process, line the edges with aluminum foil. Once the crusts are finished baking, remove the foil and beans, prick the bottoms with a fork, and set them aside to cool, leaving them in their molds.
• Divide the almonds evenly and sprinkle into the bottom of each crust.
• Place one pear half on your work surface at a time. Working with your knife at a diagonal, slice each half crosswise into 1/4-in/6-mm slices. Arrange the slices of one pear half evenly over the almonds.
• Place the cheese in a food processor and mix until smooth. Add the cream, sugar, and eggs. Mix for about 30 seconds, or until the mixture is smooth. Scrape the bowl down periodically while mixing. Divide the mixture evenly over the pears in the crust, scraping the bowl out with a rubber spatula. Spread the mixture gently with a rubber spatula to make sure it covers everything fairly evenly.
• Bake the tarts in a 350°F/177°C oven for 35 minutes, or until set.
• Allow the tarts to cool slightly before removing them from the molds. Slice the tarts and serve them warm.